Harp.



W. I. KIRK.

HARP.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, 1911.

1,134,207. Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0,, PHOTG-LI7H(. n W/lanu'nuvu, u. C.

" WALTER-II. or 'cnIcAGo/ILLmoIs, Assrenonro imit HEALY,

' matic locking means controlled by the tension of the string,-for holding the sharping. finger in operatedbpos'itlon. Heretoforeit has been customary :to operate these sharp-,

inball whom it may concern: I

ILLINOIS, ac'onr'onerrron or ILLINOIS;

Entr Harpsg of which the'following visa specifica- My inventionjrelates to stringed instruments, suchas harps, harp" guitars or any stringed instrument in which 'fsharping fingers are'used' l'and relates moreparticularly, to an improved construction of such sharping; fingers; and to the I meansfor .op- .eratingthe samerfl s i Myj invention'isespecially designedpfor' use inf 'connectionwith .a single-actionoharp',

I [and an object is to simplifythemechanism" required for operating the sharping fingers,

thereby harp.

greatly reducing the "cost of' the L A further object to provide an autoing fingers by'means of pedals. This ar vided a much simpler operating mechanism creased the cost of the same; 1'

plicated chain of mechanism-in the column and; neck ofthe harp, 1 and thus greatly in- By my improved arrangement I have for the sharpingfingers, which mechanism v, islocated onlthe i neck of the instrument withineasyreach of the'harpist; a

@These and other "objects of my "invention" ,willbe more-readily understood'by having reference to the accompanying fdrawing's,-.in v which similar referencecharactersgrefer to similar parts, and in which Figure 1 1S a. slde elevatlon ofaportion of a harp embodying my invention. .Fig. 2

is a similar view with the front actionplate 1 removed and showingbut a single train of links in orderto simplify the drawing. :Fig,

' o 3 is a--sectiona1 detail. -FigA: is a sectional View taken onYlineA-A of Fig'. 3. 'Fig.,5

I is an enlarged detail showingjthe manner inv 6 which the sharping finger is-l'oc'ked in op;

erated-position. FigL'G isa side elevation of a portion ofa harpshowin a modified form of my invention. Figs. and 8 are enlarged details ofthis'modifie'd form; Fig.

isasectional detaiI of a sharping finger Specification r'netter rat ne 'lationship; I 4 r 1 d As shown in'Figs; 1 and 2, 11 represents the upper 'portion'of the column of theharp. to: which is connected "the neck 12 in the usual manner. the "frontand back action-plates'13' and 19;. The strings 15 aresecured' to the tun- 4' v I p showing thevarious parts in detached re- ,lgBe it ;known.that I, WALTEiI I.-KIRK,;a-

[citizen of the United States of America, and i resident of Chicago, 7 Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in This neck portion carries ing pins on 'the neck'12 in the usualmannerQ Mounted adjacent to each of the is stringsand a short distance belowthe tunin'g pins-there is a sharping finger 16fby means'ofwhich the pitch-of the correspond- 'ing string can be raised ah'alf tone. V responding sharpingfingers' in each octaveis are, connected togetherby a'series'of links as shown in Fig; 1, whereby the corresponding string of each octave may. be raised a or cnrcAeo; I

v Patented Apr. 6,1915. nApplication filed 0ctober9,1911., seria11wd.-e5s,s52. I v

Qor-

halfljtone by a. single operation; Each' of these sharping fingersf16 is carried by a v I disk 17 mounted upon aspindle 18, as shown inliig. This spindle is provided with a cone-shaped bearing :19 fitting within a bearing opening in -the front action plate I '13, while the opposite end of'the spindlewis I p I vprovidedwith a reduced portion adapted rangement, however, necessitatedlta iconito fit within av hollow cap 20, which is in threaded engagement with an opening v in a the back action plate 14. 'The interiorof this f'hollow cap is provided with a small spiral :spring; which is adapted tobearma'gainst the end-of the spindle 18 thereby holding the cone bearing 1,9 firmly within the, coneshaped opening in the front action plate,

thuspreventing the sharping finger from f 1 rattling orzworkinggloose. The construc-" tion of this "cap and spring is; clearly shown-' in'the upper Dart o ga in connection links 22and arms '23; as clearlv. shownzin Fig. 1. Mounted upon one of the spindles 18 there is a pivotedaarm 24:to the opposite end of which is connected the link 25 which isconnected .toithe' arm 26 mounted upon I the spindle-21;, Thisspi-ndle is mounted in the front andfback actio'nplates in a man is clamped uponjthe spindle '21, and is provided with a pair-of lugs 29 and which engage with the ,pin 31 mounted upon the ner similarto the spindle 18; and carries theoperating handle 27. A splitcol'lar28 I the string 15, forcing the same Slightly out front action plate to limit the movementofi 'of the corresponding-spindles 18,.thereby operating the associated in each octave. v a As stated above, the movement of theopcrating lever is limited by meansof the stop sharping finger, one

fi-lugs'29 and 30. The lug 29 is so positioned that when it strikes the pin 81 the sharping' finger has been revolved from the position shown in dotted lines to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5, so as to bear against ofalinement, and has reached a position bei low the center line or" the disk 17 In this positionthe sharping finger 16 is securely locked in place, as movement in one direction isprevented by means of the lug 29, while movement in the opposite direction is prevented by means ofthe tension of the string 15. This tension upon the string exerts i "mg 19 firmly n place and preventingthe force on the pin 16 acting toward the right (looking at Fig. 5), and in order for the finger 16 .to rotate back to its normal posi-' tion it would be necessary for it to [move slightly to theleft, owing to. the fact that it has revolved below the center .linezof the disk .17. It will thus be seen that I have devised a very simple "and efiicient means whereby the tension upon the string serves to The corresponding operating handles 27 are;

preferably grouped together upon the neck of the instrument within easy reach of the harpist. These operating handles are marked to designate the strings which they j control, and are grouped in a series corresponding to the usual sequence of the pedals of a pedal harp. That is, the operating handles referringto the strings they control would'be arranged in the order ofD, C, B, E, F, G, A. This is purely forconvenience, so that when one has learned the pedal series he can more readily learn to operate the.

levers. y In Figs. 6 to 9, I have shown a slightly.

modified form of my invention which .--is

adapted for use with a' single plate harp; that is, a harpof smaller size having but a single action plate. In this modification I omit all connecting links, it being necessary to operate each sharpingfinger individually. This makes the arrangement very simple, so thatthe sharping fingers can be applied to the small'inex'pensive harps.

tion plate 18*.

sharping fingers areemployed.

' Th shaming finger 16 in h'ltl lOd of i 'mounted ona second'disk l7 on the spindle 18 This spindle is provided with a cone bearing'19 which fits within a cone shaped recess in the action plate; It will be notic'ed that thiscone bearing is beveledin the opposite direction from that shown in Figs. 1 .to

' 5, on account of'the fact that itis mounted 'on' the outside of the action plate instead ot the inside. The spindle18 passes through the neck 12 on the cylindrical opening in the neck, which opening is enlarged at 32. A

washer 33 surrounds the spindle '18 andrests" in the ,lower portion of the enlargedopening. The sleeve 34 and spring35 fit over the spindle l8 and' are held in place by means of, the cap 36 and'set-screw 37. The

set-screw 37 engageswiththe inside of the spindle 18 thus locking the cap and spindle together, and thespring 3 5, presses outward" upon thecap 36, thus holding the cone bearspindle from rattling or working loose. -The disk 17 is provided with a lug 38 which ens gages with the arc-shaped slot 39in theac- The 'sharping fingers 16* bear against the stringsand in order to operate them it is merely necessary to press against the finger and rotate the same until the lug 38 reaohesthe end of the slot 39, in

which position the "sharping finger hasv reached a position below the center line" of the disk 17 wherebyitis automatically held 7 the manner described.

It'will thus beseen that I have devised a very simple and effective sharping finger,

which is automatically heldin operated position,

suggest themselves to anyone skilledin the art.

. Furthermore, while I have illustrated my.

inventionin connection with a harp, it will be readily understood that the sharping fin gers may be employed in connectionwith any form of stringed instrument in which What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a musical instrument, a tuned string, a sharping finger for raising the pitch of said string, and means for'limiting therotation of said finger, jsaid'finger being so.

i in position by the tensioniof-the string, in

positioned with respect to said stringthat the tension ofthe string holds said finger in operated position. i v 2. In a musical instrument, a tuned string, a sharping finger for raising the pitch of said string, means for stopping said? finger ata point pastthe centerj'lineiof said diskq which passes through thepointof contact between said string and (disk, whereby the tension of the string automatically holds said finger in operated position.

' the 7 center line 'ofj said disk which passes I through the point oicontactl of'said string and disk, whereby the tensionsof the string automatically holds said finger in operative position.

4. In a harp, a coluinn,;a' neck thereto, a pluralityrof tuned stringssecured V fstringfor raising the pitch of that string, Q, meansfor limiting theiro'tation'of said'fingers',said "fingers beingso positioned with to said neck, a sharping finger adj acenteach I respect to their respectivestrings that the 'copies of tliisipatentim ay be obtained t or flv e centsgeacli, by'addressing the Commissioner of intents,

g tension of -the holds respective I ating said sharping fingers.

'5. In a gharp a column, a neck' secured i thereto, a plurality of tuned strings secured to said neck, a"sharping,finger locatedadjacent to' each string for raising. the pitcho f is eccentrica'llymounted, 'i'neans for rotating said] disks to cause said" fingers tov 'bear disks and fingerszfrom being rotated jbesaid disks which passes; through the point witnessesz' ii M. S/IIEALY,

' '"Gno, SCHMIDT. I

Washington, 0.?

fingers "in operative position, and operating v handles mounted upon said neck for-opera, I 1

7 r 2 said strings, a'disk upon which eachfinger. In a musical'instrument, a tuned string, a] 'sharping.finger for raising thepitch'ofr said string, a disk upon which said finger is p p ,eccentrically mounted, imeans for rotating i said disk to causesaidifinger to bear against said string, andmeans enga'ging saidzdi'sk for preventing 'saidfidisk and finger from; being rotated beyond :a point which is' past 40 against' their respective strings, means for enga'ging said disks" for preventing said 'yond apointwhich is past thecenter line of of contact of said strings and-their respecrtive disks, whereby the tension of- 'said I strings operatively holds said fingers in opnerativef position, and operating; handles mounted upon said neck sharping fingers. Y g

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 19th dayof Sept;, 19 11.s, v g

" WALTER IQ'KIRK.

for operating said .5 i 

